Eduard has issued a four-bladed resin propeller to upgrade the propeller in their SE.5a kit. The upgraded propeller includes resin and photoetch parts with much finer detail than the kit propeller.

The Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5 was introduced in 1917 with a 150 HP V8 Hispano-Suiza 8A engine with two-bladed counter-clockwise (left) rotating propeller. The SE.5a was an improved version of the SE.5 and was one of the fastest fighters of WWI. The SE.5a aircraft was originally produced with a 200 HP Hispano-Suiza 8B gear-driven engine (‘Hisso’), with a counter-clockwise (left) rotating four-bladed propeller. The gear-driven engines proved unreliable, and were quickly replaced with the 200 HP Wolsely Viper direct drive engine with clockwise rotating (right) two-bladed propeller.

In their recently issued SE.5a kit, Eduard includes both the Hispano-Suiza 8B and Wolsely Viper engines, as well as right & left two-bladed propellers, and a left four-bladed propeller. The propeller reviewed here is the four-bladed upgrade to the kit propeller. The counter-clockwise (left) four-bladed propeller is for the Hispano-Suiza 8B engine.

The kit includes two resin parts; the propeller and front hub, and photoetch parts for the rear plate. The resin props have continuous attachment to the pour block, but it cleans up easily. The Brassin propeller has a wider blade and more rounded tip than the kit prop. The resin hub has greater depth and much finer detail than the one-piece kit propeller, and is the best part of the propeller upgrade.

Eduard/Brassin has now issued many additions and upgrades to the new SE.5a kit, including props, radiators, and guns. Al these options increase the flexibility of the SE.5a and allow producing many variations of the aircraft.

This resin propeller is a nicely detailed upgrade to the pit prop and recommended for those wanting to build the SE.5a with a Hispano-Suiza 8B engine. Thanks Eduard for making these great kits & parts, and for providing review samples to IPMS!